How Can it be a Reunion if We Never Said Goodbye
by actionman81
Summary: Andrea Zuckerman travels back to Beverly Hills for a reunion of sorts. She's dreading running into her old classmates, yet anxious about meeting one in particular, once more.
1. Chapter 1

"Why are you stressing out?" Hannah Vasquez rolled her eyes, acting like a teenager, even though she was well into her twenties, "You missed your twenty fifth, why does it matter now?"

"I've got to show support for my friends" Andrea Zuckerman hastily packed her suitcase, "I'd hoped you'd have learned that and not ended up like me"

"You turned out fine, Mom"

"Sure I did" Andrea waved off the compliment. "Divorced, a single mother, a college drop out"

"You dropped back in" Hannah implored, "and that made an impact on me" she smiled over the phone.

"I guess" Andrea couldn't see things that way. "I'll finish packing up, and I'll meet you at the airport when the flight gets in"  
After saying her goodbyes, Andrea stared at the halfway packed suitcase, "What am I even doing?" she sighed, "I missed Brenda's baby shower, and now, now Dylan's gone. Forget about the reunion, I should've been there for my friends when they needed me"

The flight down to Los Angeles was relatively uneventful for everyone except Andrea, plagued during the quiet trip by old memories. Getting away from Connecticut had been smart, but uprooting Hannah from her school and her friends wasn't. Andrea. Had tried coming back to Beverly Hills, and had enrolled Hannah at West Beverly High.  
That hadn't lasted long. Barely a semester and while Hannah had enjoy her time at the school, and had been a part of West Beverly's morning news program, she'd eventually found the pressure of extracurricular, academic, and school social life to be too much.  
"Just like I once did" Andrea stared wistfully out the airplane window.  
"Plans change"Andrea sighed, "people change" she flipped past photos on her phone, scanned snapshots from what felt like a lifetime ago. She hadn't really spoken with anyone else, not really since Donna's wedding to David. It had been easier to escape across the continent, and stay away. During those six months in Los Angeles, she'd stayed in a small apartment, and ended up writing articles online, making money that way.  
"Maybe it was better that way" she convinced herself, "I didn't have to deal with anyone, and anyway, Hannah didn't care much for West Beverly, but I didn't want to go back to Connecticut"  
And they hadn't. Opting instead for New Jersey, where Hannah could still commute to visit her father Jesse, but Andrea could build herself a new life, without demons from the past. There had been no Brenda or Donna showing up, asking about her, no Jesse, trying to either make things work, or haranguing her with his spiritual traditions.  
And now, here she was, heading back.

There were so many reasons to go back, of course. Hannah, being the main reason. After finishing high school in New Jersey, she'd applied to and had been accepted at USC, namely Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. "Following in my footsteps" Andrea smiled as she waited for Hannah to pick her up. A cab ride would be prohibitive, cost wise, and the traffic would be horrendous.  
Once again, Andrea was left with her thoughts. So much had happened in the past few years. Not even her daughter knew how some of that time had been spent.  
Packing up her things for college, Hannah had found Andrea poring over Hannah's old baby mementos. Nearly two decade prior, Donna and Kelly had sent some teeny t-shirt with adorable, yet trendy designs, and even Brenda, once she found out, had air-mailed Andrea something from Benneton. Andrea had just remembered both how she missed her high school friends, and how she felt that she still didn't fit in.

"They'd all lose their minds if only they knew"  
Wanting her daughter to be her true, authentic self, not change the way she had, new hairstyles and new contact lenses were simple, but Andrea knew she'd done more than change her outward appearance. She'd given up her dreams to be with Jesse. Plus, she couldn't help think, then, that she'd missed out on something in life.

Sitting there, waiting for her daughter to arrive at the airport, she remembered that night like it was last night,  
Andrea found herself uncharacteristically at a bar. She had to get away, away from work, away from the empty house with Hannah away at college, and away from her own insidious thoughts.

"Is this seat taken?" a voice asked. Except it wasn't a man who questioned her.  
"Sure" Andrea nursed her drink, and stared straight ahead at the bottles that lined the back of the bar.  
"You're Andrea Zuckerman", and this time Andrea turned to see who it was that recognized her, fearful that it might be a high school classmate.  
The voice belonged to a well dressed blonde. She stared at Andrea. "This might sound silly, but I sort of hoped we'd run into each other, so I could tell you how I felt about your writing" she began.  
"Thanks" Andrea smiled. She'd been feeling down, about a lot of things, and here, this nice stranger was complimenting her.  
"And" the blonde bit her lip, hesitating over something, "I love the way you think, and how you see the world"  
"Wow, thank you" Andrea blushed, "to be honest, I was having a hard time, and that helped – a lot"  
"Glad I could help" she smiled, and took Andrea's hand in her own, and squeezed it.  
Then, rather suddenly, the blonde leaned in and kissed her.  
It was soft, and warm, and before she knew it, the kiss was over.  
"Uh- thanks?" Andrea wasn't sure what to say. Talk about awkward.  
But that had simply left her even more confused. Always having been logical minded, perhaps to a fault, feelings, or rather, uncertainty about those feelings, left Andrea unsure of a lot of things.  
Nothing much had happened after that brief kiss. But it gave her a lot of questions to think about. Was latency something to possibly consider?

She spied her daughter's car, or rather, the car that Hannah had said to watch for.  
Mother and daughter loaded the suitcase and hand luggage into the trunk, and headed for the city.  
Back in high school, Andrea had asked "Why is a guy, tough, and a girl, a bitch?" to herself, as palm trees whizzed by, she silently asked, "Why it that girls can say other girls are pretty, but when men are afraid of being thought of as gay if they say another man's attractive?"  
These weren't questions she wanted to talk about with her daughter, let alone anyone else. Who else could she discuss this with, a shrink?  
"So" Hannah chatted casually, "are you ready to get back, Mom? To show me where all those great stories happened?"  
"Sure" Andrea nodded absently. She wasn't so sure about any of that, not right now


	2. Chapter 2

"Aunt Donna texted me" Hannah broke into Andrea's thoughts. The light was red, and daughter turned to mother, and changed the topic "Are you ok?" she frowned, "You've been extra- just extra"  
"I'm fine" Andrea knitted her brows, then relaxed them, "I have a lot on my mind"  
"You're working yourself too hard, Mom" Hannah shook her head and stomped on the gas pedal when the light changed, "Just because you're not keeping in touch with all your old friends, doesn't mean I have to stay away"  
"What?" Andrea was shocked. What had her daughter been keeping from her?  
"You're hardly on social media" Hannah went on, "You're obsessed with work, and since I moved out here, we never get to talk much"  
"You've got your own life" Andrea rationalized, "I don't want to – to crimp your style"  
"Sure" Hannah sounded like she didn't believe a word. "I shouldn't have kept the top down, and I've got your hair" she pulled a fabric covered elastic band from the center console in the car, and tied up her curly locks with it. "At least you don't have to worry about that" she laughed.  
Andrea flipped down the passenger vanity mirror and stared at herself. Sure enough, her hair was cut short, just grazing her ears, and honestly, the wind swept look suited her.  
"Hold on" Andrea gave her daughter some side eye, only because the car was moving again and she didn't want Hannah paying attention to her when she should have her eyes on the road, "have you been keeping something from me?"  
"Look, Uncle David and Aunt Donna wanted everyone to get together again, I don't know why. They couldn't reach you, so" she pulled up against a curb, "they found me on social media and got in touch. I've been trying to hint that you come down here, but- "  
"I had work" Andrea was quick with an answer. That really wasn't it. Her slight indiscretion with a writing fan wasn't all that was bothering her, "I'm not having an existential crisis" she silently thought, "I just don't think I can see him again without-" she didn't want to finish the thought.  
She realized where they were.  
"Hannah, this isn't your apartment, not even close to campus, this is- "  
"Yeah, I know" Hannah smirked  
The car sat outside The Peach Pit.  
"No" Andrea looked horrified, "I've been on a cross country plane ride. I smell like airline disinfectant, sweat, and stale peanuts, which I had to pay for, I might add"  
"It's fine" Hannah acted like nothing was wrong.  
"It is most certainly not find" Andrea didn't believe her daughter for a second, "You turn this car around, and I will go to your apartment, or somewhere on campus, anywhere, and shower, at least change my clothes"  
"He's not going to care about any of that" Hannah grinned  
"He-" Andrea couldn't even say his name.  
"Mom, he's divorced now. It's ok. There's no little brats chasing after him, either" she practically dragged Andrea from the car to the restaurant's entrance.  
"If you think I'm going to go in that place and act like nothing's changed in the past- " she began  
"I don't think, Mom" Hannah smiled, "I know you want to see him again. It's all over your face"  
Perhaps it was.  
Andrea took a tentative step toward the door and placed her fingers on the handle.  
From behind, her grown up daughter acted in a most not grown up way, and gave her mother a little shove into the establishment.  
Andrea two quick steps in succession to keep from falling over, though the doors, and into the Peach Pit.  
"Ok, Mrs. Silver" Brandon Walsh's voice could be heard behind the counter, "Grab a booth" he turned, around, and placed a plate of food on the counter, "I think I can still remember your usual"  
"Whoa" Kelly Taylor frowned at the plate Brandon set on the counter in front of her, "I'm not your waitress"  
"I told you when we bought this place, Kel, that sometimes, you have to get your hands dirty"  
"I love it when we're all together" Donna Silver smiled at her husband, David, next to her in the booth.  
Steve Sanders, over by the juke box, decided on which song to play.  
Had the music been playing, it would have dramatically stopped, especially the way when everyone looked at Andrea, standing just inside the restaurant.  
"Hey" Brandon smiled broadly. Andrea's eyes locked onto him. He looked good, in black jeans and wearing a Peach Pit uniform shirt. No, he looked better than she remembered him.  
Maybe this wasn't so bad  
"Andrea" he flipped back the counter's partition, and had taken a few long strides across the floor. In no time, he was next to her. Rather, in front of her.  
"Oh" Andrea felt herself almost lifted off the floor when Brandon hugged her  
"You're a sight for sore eyes" he smiled  
Kelly stood over by the counter, her arms crossed.  
"Why's everyone staring at me?" Andrea glanced from one old friend to another  
"It's been too long" Donna explained, "and we missed you"  
"And unlike like most of the world, you haven't been on social media long" David quipped, "or at all"  
"I – have work, and-" Andrea began  
"Come on" Brandon put his arm around her shoulders, "she's probably exhausted from the flight. Donna, it wasn't really like you to go to all this cloak and dagger stuff just to get her here"  
"Of course it is" Donna laughed  
Andrea sighed in relief. It did feel good to be with everyone again.  
As if on cue, Brenda McKay entered the Peach Pit, wearing mostly dark colors. Brandon left Andrea's side and hugged his sister  
"Hey, Bren" his voice was soft  
"Hey" she smiled wanly

"Hi Brenda" Andrea smiled, and extended her hand  
Brenda didn't take it, but nodded in response  
"I'm sorry that I – couldn't make it" she sighed, not knowing what else to say. All those valid reasons she'd had in her head a few minutes ago seemed to be paper thin now.  
"I'm glad you could come down" Brenda forced a smile, "I know you heard about things"  
"I read the obituary" Andrea explained, "I wasn't really planning on coming back, but one thing led to another, and – well"  
Brenda cut her off, "We all lost somebody who was very close to us" she of course, referred to Dylan's passing, "Maybe you've forgotten that" she stared at Andrea, "Dylan was incredibly, incredibly important to me" Brenda's voice was full of emotion, "I wanted something quiet, just the family, close friends, but you couldn't make it" she continued, "it was a pivotal moment, I took another view, took stock of things, and this was a way to honor someone I love"  
"I don't expect you to understand why I couldn't come earlier" Andrea heard the words tumbling out of her own mouth. So sure of herself, or she used to be, "You're right, and I should've been there" she sighed, "I'm here now. I hope that helps"

"It does" Brenda nodded and smiled, a real smile, "it means I've got another sister in my life again" she hugged Andrea.  
Brenda joined Donna and David at the booth. Steve walked over, gave Andrea a playful punch to the shoulder, and pulled a chair up to the booth.  
Andrea looked on, feeling suddenly out of place  
"You really must be exhausted after that flight" Brandon appeared next to her. She could smell his cologne, or was it just how he smelled, "Take some time to rest, we can regroup later, after Kel and I shut this place down for the night."  
Andrea turned and looked up at him  
"After Dark isn't the same now that the kids are plugged into their phones and tablets all the time" he grinned  
"I do feel like lying down for awhile" Andrea nodded absently, "I'll call Hannah to pick me up"  
"I really do want to catch up, Andrea" Brandon's voice was strong, "it's been too long, and – well, I missed you"  
"I missed you, too" Andrea wanted to say. Just then, some more customers came in and Brandon left her side, to get his crew back to work.  
Andrea pulled up a chair next to Steve, but she wasn't really listening to the conversation, not properly. Her mind was on a boy she'd almost slept with in high school, who now ran the Peach Pit.  
"With his wife?" Andrea thought


	3. Chapter 3

"Maybe you should tell Andrea" Donna coaxed Brenda, "she doesn't know"  
"You read the obituary" Brenda looked at Andrea  
Andrea was suddenly brought out of her thoughts with the sharp question  
"Yes, I read it" she was matter of fact. The obituary had simply said accidental death.  
"Then you know enough" Brenda was curt. Clearly, this wasn't something she wanted to talk about now.  
"So why haven't we seen you around?" David was blunt as he abruptly changed topics

"I uh-" Andrea began

"David" Donna frowned at her husband, "She just landed here not even two hours ago. Give her some time" she turned to Andrea, "besides, David and I are holding a little get-together this weekend. We really wanted you to come"

"Thanks" Andrea smiled

Outside the Peach Pit, a car horn sounded, and with that, Andrea said hurried goodbyes and bolted out of the restaurant.

The car ride back was quiet, and the moment Andrea reached Hannah's apartment, she pulled her notes from her hand luggage and opened up her laptop. Work never seemed to end for her.

Hannah, however, saw right through this facade.

"You got to stop this, Mom"

"Stop what?"

"God, stop hiding from everything, burying yourself in your work. You've got to face facts!"

"What facts? That he left me to start a family?"

"Do you hear yourself? You're still angry that—"

"I'm not angry"

"Fine, either way, you wish he was with you"

"You have no idea what I want"

"Yeah, I do" Hannah sputtered, "Do you think I told you everything that happened in one lousy semester at West Beverly?"

Andrea softened, "What happened? You know you can tell me anything"

"No" Hannah shook her head, "I can't" she sighed, "I couldn't, not then"  
"Why not?" Andrea countered  
"Please" Hannah scoffed, "you did what you always do. You stayed holed up in the apartment, writing until your fingers fell off. Meanwhile, I had to fend for myself" she exhaled, "It's not like you would've listened to me then, anyway"

Andrea took a step closer, "Well, tell me now"

"Do you know what it's like when everyone knows who you are? Even if you don't know anyone else?"

"Wha—" Andrea was shocked

"Everyone knew who I was, whose daughter I am" Hannah wavered, "Everyone wanted to ask about you, about Dad. 'What happened?', 'Did you parents get divorced?' and then, the one I didn't know what to do with, 'Did you Mom and Dad split up because of Brandon Walsh?' Do you know how that feels?"

"I wish you could've told me, back then"

"How?" Hannah spat out, "You were doing what you're doing now, you buried yourself into writing, into news, into current events, and shut the world out. You shut me out" she fumed, "And you're doing it with Brandon"

Andrea was painfully aware that the moniker of "Uncle Brandon" was thrown off.

"I am not doing anything to Brandon" Andrea practically shouted.  
"Exactly" Hannah smirked.  
Andrea was getting tired of that expression of her daughter's, "Speaking of which, I have to go meet him at the restaurant. He said he wants to talk" she grabbed her jacket


	4. Chapter 4

Andrea of course didn't head straight to the Peach Pit. After her argument with Hannah, she took her jacket, a change of clothes and commandeered the apartment's sole bathroom.  
The hot water felt good against her body, and she took full advantage of the steam, soap and shampoo to cleanse herself, not just from the outside, but to cleanse her mind, as well.  
The evening was warm, so she swapped out her earlier jacket for a short sleeved blazer, lightweight slacks and a sleeveless blouse. She glanced at her reflection over her eyeglasses. Yes, this felt good.

Not wanting to spend another moment in argument with her adult daughter, Andrea walked the distance from the apartment complex to the Peach Pit, despite Hannah's persistence that she drive her mother there. The sun was already well on its descent. The way evening traffic was going, it probably was faster than driving anyway.  
It gave her time to think, to ponder, to fume.  
"Who the hell does she think she is" Andrea thought, throwing daggers from her eyes to invisible verbal combatants, "saying that I'm hiding from Brandon, hiding from my feelings. That's rich. Ha!"

By the time she reached the restaurant, it was nightfall, and only one car was left parked outside. "Must be Brandon's" she glanced at the classic hatchback vehicle.  
She stepped into the darkened restaurant. Few lights were on.  
"Jimmy" Brandon was behind the counter and spoke to an employee, "Here, take this home. It's still warm" he handed over a small box to the bearded man, "You guys take care, and tell Eva hi for me"  
Jimmy, on the opposite side of the counter, took the parcel and left by the front door, locking it on his way out. The hatchback drove off from the front of the Peach Pit.  
Brandon flipped over the counter partition and crossed the restaurant.  
The juke box was still playing. Ace of Base belted out a song,  
"I wish I could scream aloud that I love you. I wish I could say to you-"  
Brandon shut off the juke box.  
"I'm glad you could make it" he smiled, "I had some things I wanted to discuss" he had left two steaming coffee mugs on the counter, and now motioned Andrea to join him on the bar stools.  
"I walked over here" she admitted, "I'd like to take a booth"  
"Sure" he brought the mugs over and placed them on the table, then slid into the booth, himself.  
"It's really good to have you back here" he smiled  
"Thanks" she sipped her coffee  
"You know that Donna's throwing some sort of party"  
"A get-together" she corrected him  
"Sure" he sipped his coffee, "I wanted to ask if you wanted to, together"  
"What would Kelly say?" she looked confused  
"Kel? Why? I'm not joined at the hip with her"  
"But- you guys own this place" she meant the Peach Pit  
"Nat wanted to leave it to me, but I told him I wanted to do it the right way, but I didn't have enough money, not after -" he broke off  
"So Kelly paid for half of it?" Andrea finished for him, "why not" she scoffed, "You get what you always wanted"  
"What are you talking about?" he gave a nervous smile.  
"Do you remember the first time we all hung out on the beach together?" she didn't wait for him to answer, "I tried so, so hard to get you to notice me"  
Brandon swallowed whatever he was about to say  
"But all you did was stare at Kelly prancing on the sand in her bikini"  
"Andrea-" he began  
She didn't let him finish  
"Or how about the time at summer camp, and you made such a to do about your feelings for me"  
"He-"Brandon started to say  
"He what?" Andrea snapped, "He wasn't the guy I should've been with? And you were?"  
Brandon nodded silently.  
"And I suppose you were?" she fumed, "honestly, I think I should've gone with Jay to Houston"  
"I'm sorry, what?" Brandon was taken aback  
"I should've gone to Jay to Houston" she was more assertive, "You do this, Brandon, you act like I belong to you, and I honestly had enough of that with Jesse. I didn't come back to get that treatment from you, too" she stood up.  
"Andrea, hang on. I wanted to tell you-" he started  
She cut him off, "No, Brandon. I might come to Donna's but for her and David, not for you" she crossed the restaurant and headed for the door. It was locked.  
"I hope you're happy with Kelly and the Peach Pit" her voice broke.  
"Andrea" Brandon stood up, "Kelly's not my wife. She's my business partner!"  
Andrea leaned against the locked door, "You're not married to her?"  
"No" Brandon made his way toward her, "I mean, I was married, once"  
"Oh" Andrea felt a loss of words.  
"It didn't work out. A lot of things didn't work out. I thought journalism was my future" he explained, "the way it is for you" he smiled  
"And it's not for you?"  
"Not the way the world's been spinning around now" he was honest, "when the news sounds more like a comedy sketch, it's hard to do the right thing, get the word out there" in a few quick strides, he was next to her, again.  
"Washington wasn't what I expected, not for the past few years" he continued, "Looking back, I regretted leaving Beverly Hills, so I came here again. Minnesota might be where I was born, but this place felt like home" he looked to Andrea for a response.  
She nodded, listening.  
"You're right. I should've seen the person who was right in front of me the whole time. Except I didn't." he took a step forward. They were practically touching now, "When you married Jesse, and then left California, I tried telling myself that you were happy, that this was your way of moving on, and so I tried to do that, too"  
"I liked Jesse" Andrea admitted, "but it wasn't – it didn't work out"  
"That's what happened with me, I guess" he took her hand in his, and gave it a slight squeeze, "I dated a lot of women, even got married, and do you want to know the one thing all those women had in common?"  
Andrea could feel his breath against her face. "What?" she swallowed  
"None of them were you" he leaned forward and kissed her.


	5. Chapter 5

Brandon kissed her  
Without warning, Andrea was momentarily transported back to high school, where their kisses were so intense and overwhelmed both of them.  
She broke the kiss first, and smiled at him, "I missed that, too"  
"Me too" he grinned, "and since I'm confessing, I've got one more thing to tell you" he sighed, and slipped his arm around her shoulder, hugging him to her.  
"Go ahead" she leaned her head against his shoulder. This felt good, right, and certainly very comfortable.  
"I never meant to drag you out of your life up north, and I tried to look you up, get back in touch with you, but – " he left the rest unsaid.  
"But?" she looked at him  
"You were married, and then you were at college, and – " he paused, "I – " he found it hard to continue.  
"I shouldn't have married Jesse" Andrea blurted her feelings  
"No" he shook his head, "you were happy with him, how could I take you away from that?"  
"I don't think he was so happy with me" she sighed, "and what did you mean you tried to look me up"  
"Andrea, you're a famous journalist. The world knows who you are." he hugged her, "I couldn't handle the pressures of Washington" he looked away, "why would you want to throw all that to come back to West Beverly?"  
"I'll answer that in a moment" she pulled out from under his arm and sat back in a booth. Brandon followed her and sat next to Andrea, "but my question is I want to hear more about what happened in DC. The last I heard was that you were happy there. You couldn't even make it to Donna's wedding"  
"I wanted to" he admitted, "and like I said, I met someone"  
"You did mention that" she nodded, and leaned against him  
"And if I'm being completely honest," he sighed, paused a moment, "I did try to see how Kelly and I worked together once I got back, but" he emphasized the word, "before you lay into me" he grinned, "she and I are just friends. She has her life, and I'm trying to have mine"  
"I'll give you that" she tilted her head back and looked up at him, as she leaned against him, "you said that you tried to look me up. What stopped you?"  
"I just always chickened out" he admitted. "You were all over the world, living your life, living out your dream. Who the hell was I to take you from all that. What was I supposed to say, that I hadn't spoken to you in what felt like twenty years, do you want to come over and share a Megaburger?"

"We've had our share problems finding each other" she thought aloud, "It seemed like time was always against us"  
"We've got time now" he stroked her arm with his hand, "we've got tonight"  
"Who needs tomorrow?" Andrea jokingly finished the line from a Bob Seger song  
"That too" Brandon smiled, "so will you come with me, to Donna's?"  
"Sure, absolutely" she felt good, like she finally belonged somewhere  
"And what do you want to do tonight?" he had a twinkle in his eye  
"I definitely do not want to have sex on the Peach Pit floor" she laughed  
"Agreed" he glanced down at the checkerboard tiled floor, "Let me give you a ride back to the apartment" he was being chivalrous  
"Sure" she nodded, "although it's pretty late, and I don't want to wake up Hannah when I stumble in"  
"Ok" he agreed, "I'll take you home tonight" he smiled


	6. Chapter 6

Andrea rolled over in bed, and smiled. She felt relaxed. Not antsy, not jumpy, not how she felt on most days. There were no deadlines, no editors yelling at her over the phone or harassing her via email or text message.  
Text messages! She found her phone lying on the nightstand. There were several missed calls from Hannah, and even more text messages  
"Good morning" Brandon appeared in the doorway, buttoning his Peach Pit uniform shirt. He didn't have pants on yet.  
"Hi" Andrea smiled and put her glasses on. "It's early" she looked at the time on her phone.  
"You might be on vacation, but I've got a restaurant to run." he laughed, "I really do have to go" his smile turned into something more serious, "but there's some breakfast things in the kitchen, and just turn the latch when you head out"  
"I – um" she began  
"I wanted to spend some more time together" Brandon sat on the edge of the bed. Andrea wondered if he wanted to get closer.  
Apparently, not really, as he yanked on jeans and slipped his feet into shoes.  
"and I really do hate leaving you like this" he leaned over and kissed her, "but duty calls" he got up to leave the room, and presumably, the apartment.  
"I'm looking forward to Donna's party" he smiled from the doorway  
"Me too" Andrea colored.  
With that, she was left alone in Brandon's apartment.

First things first, Andrea phoned her daughter  
"Are you ok, Mom?" no greetings, straight business. Like mother, like daughter  
"I'm fine" Andrea felt fine. More than fine, in fact.  
"Where are you? I can come get you"  
"Actually" Andrea measured her words, "I'm at Brandon's"  
"Oh my god, Mom!" the scream made Andrea pull the phone away from her ear, "You have to tell me everything!"  
"I don't really think you want to hear about this"  
"Mom, you've been in love with him since I can remember. Stay right there. I'll – you have to tell me where he lives so I can pick you up"  
"I can take the bus, you know"  
"No" Hannah was adamant, "not on your life. I'm coming. Just text me his address"  
Andrea had to get up out of bed for that. She pulled on a shirt, presumably one of Brandon's, and made her way around the apartment.

Brandon didn't seem to leave his mail lying around. So Andrea had to sink to opening his drawers and closets, hoping to find something.  
She glanced out the window, but nothing looked familiar, let alone had a street sign where she could read it.  
And something she did find.  
She pulled out what looked like a large address book, "God, do people even use those still?" she flipped it open, but didn't find any addresses. Rather, she was inundated with her own photo and name, over and over.  
"There must be dozens of articles here" Brandon seemingly had cut out articles from the newspaper, and even a few printed out articles that had been online. She flipped back to the beginning and realized that the earliest ones were from her days after Yale. She'd never taken Jesse's surname for business, having wanted to stand on her own two feet and be recognized for her work, her merit.  
She stood there, the scrapbook in her hand. She hadn't expected this.  
Andrea replaced the scrapbook and searched some more, hoping to find old magazines, something, anything with his address on it. She didn't care much for the idea of heading downstairs just to see what the street address was outside the building, let alone asking someone who worked or lived here.

She pulled open the bottom drawer of a dresser but didn't find old mail. Instead, Brandon himself stared up at her from a photograph, but he wasn't alone.  
"He did say he was married" Sure enough, this wasn't a picture of him and Kelly. Who ever his wife had been, she was gorgeous.  
"Why does he still have this?" the question slammed into her like a semi truck, "Our wedding photos, Jesse and I, aren't tucked away for safekeeping. They're lying in a box, somewhere back in New Jersey." she wasn't sure what to make of this finding. All she knew was that she didn't want to stand there and look at the framed photograph anymore.  
Andrea rushed to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. There, she found a couple of issues of Sports Illustrated, noted his address, and texted Hannah.  
She dressed and left the apartment, locking it as she went.  
Andrea didn't want to spend another moment there.

"So?" Hannah eyed her mother and grinned, as they drove back to the campus apartment, "How was it?"  
"I am not having this conversation with you, not about this" Andrea spoke in clipped tones, "Some mothers talk about this with their daughters, but you know I am not like that"  
"And yet you want me to tell you everything" Hannah scoffed  
"Maybe not every single detail" Andrea worried about where the conversation might head  
"But really, you've been in love with him since- what, forever?"  
"And how do you know that?"

"I saw how you were with Dad" she of course, meant Jesse, "and even by the time I was five, I knew that you two would never get back together.  
"His remarrying that young thing obviously had nothing to do with your realization" a wry smile played on Andrea's face  
"Ok, fine" Hannah conceded, "but what about those stories you told me?"  
"Those stories" Andrea explained as palm trees whizzed past them, "were meant as – oh, I suppose morality tales, something you'd learn from, not to make my mistakes"  
"Not get hung up over a boy who can't see the good thing in front of his face?" Hannah quipped  
"Looking back, I suppose, yes" Andrea wasn't sure what to tell her daughter, certainly not her findings from this morning.

"It's Friday, and I want to do something" Hannah continued talking, "I know you're going to that party of Donna's, and really Mom, you need some new clothes"  
"What's wrong with how I dress?"  
"You dress like a Mom" she laughed, "unless that's what Brandon likes"

"I don't know" Andrea emerged from the store's fitting room in a short cocktail dress, "It's not how I really see myself"  
It was the evening. The week's classes had finished for Hannah. Andrea had had a chance to shower, change and relax after her – liaison with Brandon. Now it was time for shopping.  
"You've been head over heels for Uncle Brandon since I can remember" Hannah sighed, "it's time to wow him"  
"Maybe without showing the world my underwear?" Andrea headed back into the fitting room.  
"Do you want him to run back to Aunt Kelly?" Hannah joked  
"I – uh- " Andrea's voice came from behind the closed door  
"I was just playing" Hannah tried to apologize

Andrea knew that, logically anyway, but her feelings were taking a nose dive. Brandon had gotten cozy with Kelly after she, Andrea, had moved away. Then there was his gorgeous ex-wife. Who's to say he wouldn't tire of a mother of an adult daughter, pack up his things and head back to DC, or run straight to his so-called business partner and shack up?  
She'd waited so long, Now they finally had something, and here she was, still being the same old tired Andrea Zuckerman.

She wore her street clothes again and emerged from the fitting room with renewed gusto. She shopped like a madwoman, no dress too short, no neckline too plunging. She was going to get her man.

While shopping, they ran into Donna Martin  
"Aunt Donna" Hannah hugged her  
"Preparing for the get-together?" Donna had a twinkle in her eye  
"Something like that" Andrea conceded  
"Ok" Donna eyed the armful of clothes that Andrea carried, "you've got to stop taking advice on clothes from your kid" she smiled, "or me"  
"It's fine" Andrea was firm, "You can give me a hand choosing a dress." With that, she headed back into the fitting room.  
When she emerged, both Donna and Hannah weren't amazed. They looked repulsed.  
Sans glasses, Andrea wore a tight dress that showed more skin than either other woman would've liked to say it did.  
"I don't think dressing like Kelly will help out" Donna was honest.  
"Ok, this is weird" Hannah took a step back, "it's not the look for you, Mom"  
"No, you're right" Andrea told her daughter, "what's to stop Brandon from running back to Kelly or – or-"  
"Or who?" Donna looked confused  
Andrea didn't want to let on what she'd found out. Who knew where that tidbit of information might end up in a city that loved gossip as much as it loved the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.

"No Mom" Hannah shook her head, "This isn't you"  
"Maybe not" Andrea tugged on the hemline of her dress, "I'm just trying to be the girl that he wants me to be"

"No" Donna shook her head sadly, "This is who he wants" she ducked into the fitting room for a moment, came back out and placed Andrea's glasses on her face, and draped a blazer over her shoulders, "He wants you, his Andrea"  
She looked at herself in the mirror. She'd been trying to hard, for so long to be someone that boys, and later, men, thought was desirable. When would she listen to her real friends, and know that she already was. Certainly Brandon thought so, didn't he?

Andrea changed clothes and together, the three women found something that looked right on Andrea, but in the back of her mind, she wondered, "Maybe I'm putting the proverbial cart before the horse. Brandon and I had a very nice time, but why go through all this effort to win him over, if I'm just heading back to New Jersey?"

That had been how things should go, weren't they?


	7. Chapter 7

At the party, rather, the get-together as Donna had called it, things were in full swing. The gang, the seven adults, were all there, of course. Well, almost all there. Brandon and Andrea were still en route. While it certainly wasn't raucous, it wasn't somber either.  
"I meant what I said" Donna smiled, "I really do love it when we're all together"  
"We're not really all together" Brenda sighed, "I guess when I was back in London, I could pretend that it was me against the world" she sipped her drink, "and when I came back from London, I realized it wasn't like that" she sighed, "I needed other people around. I'm just glad that Dylan was there for me"  
"I had him first" Kelly smirked, "and your dear brother"  
"Kelly, I really don't think that that's appropriate conversation, especially for tonight" Donna warned

"Shut up, Donna" Kelly spat, "It's not my fault I'm so desirable"  
"Horny is more like it" Donna's voice was just barely audible from under her breath  
Next to his wife, David chuckled  
"Clam up, laughing boy" Steve joked, "she'd have slept with you, too, if you hadn't been her brother by marriage"  
David stopped smiling.  
"Seriously" Steve's voice got louder, "You've slept with nearly every man here, Kelly. Isn't that enough?"  
The doorbell rang and Donna went to answer it.

Kelly took another swig of her drink, "Steve, Brandon, and Doo-an"

Brandon and Andrea, hand in hand, walked into Donna's house

"Doo-an" Kelly repeated and giggled at her own malapropism

"Quiet Kelly, you're drunk" Brandon scowled

"Here comes Mr. Good Boy to rescue me" she turned her anger on Brandon, "I could've been your everything, but you had to go pick her" she pointed an accusing finger at Andrea  
"Kelly, take it easy" Andrea frowned, "Donna" she turned to her friend, "I think we'll need some coffee, the stronger, the better" they went into the kitchen.  
"Come on, Brandon" Kelly cooed, "I know what you like, and you don't like mousy girls who don't make moves for two decades"

"Life goes on" Brandon crossed his arms, "Maybe you should, too"  
"Please" Kelly scowled, "you couldn't have the Peach Pit unless I helped you out with it. You still owe me money"  
"I'll get it to you"  
"Give me a break" she practically shouted, "it's bad enough that my PR firm went belly up, which I could handle but damn it, you needed me, especially after your wife left you in DC!"  
"You don't need to talk to me like that" Brandon's voice was firm, "I told you when we recoup some of the profits, I'll pay you back"  
"Sure, you will. Just like you promised to be faithful and chaste an all that crap in your vows"  
"Why are you bringing this up now?" he frowned in confusion, "You never even knew her, let alone cared."  
"I could have been Mrs. Brandon Walsh" she threw what was left of her drink in his face, "but that was never good enough for you!" she stalked away

Andrea and Donna returned with the coffee, "Sounds like you could use this, too" Andrea sniffed at Brandon's shirt.  
"Kelly threw her drink at me"  
"I guess that's better than her having another one" Donna smirked  
"Sure' Brandon nodded. "Do you want to get out of here?" he turned to Andrea  
"Not yet" she shook her head, "I came all this way, and I want to spend some time with -" she looked at Steve and Brenda arguing, David and Donna trying to patch things up. "You know what?" she nodded, "Yeah. Yeah, let's get out of here" she took his hand  
They made their goodbyes quickly and quietly, and left the Silver estate.

No sooner had they left, when the doorbell rang again  
"Maybe Brandon forgot his keys or something" David went to answer the door. Donna accompanied him.

"Hello, or rather, Good Evening" the curly haired man smiled and extended his hand. Dressed in a tasteful dark suit, he shook David's hand, then Donna's.  
"My name is Samuel Powers," he nervously scratched at his short beard, "and I'm affiliated with a law firm that handles paternity suits" he held up a hand to the side of his mouth, alluding to a secret, "To tell you the truth, knowing an awful lot about science and technology actually helps me out here"  
"Alright" David wasn't sure what to make of this"  
"I was told that I could find Ms. Kelly Taylor here"  
"Hang on" Donna went in the house and soon returned with Kelly  
"What do you want, Brillo-head?" Kelly was still buzzed.  
"I came by to make sure you got this paperwork" Powers handed her some folded papers  
"Uh huh" she frowned, "am I being served?"  
"I'll leave you guys to it" David went inside the house with his wife  
"In short" Powers explained, "it says that that the father of your son, Samuel Dylan Taylor, is a Mr. Zachery Morris"  
"You slept with that jerk from Palisades?" Steve passed by the foyer and called out his response.  
"It was a one time thing!" she shouted back, "and Zack Morris is trash!"  
"Apparently, Mr. Morris has a thing for Kellys' Mr. Powers chuckled quietly

Outside the Silver estate, Brandon and Andrea headed back to his car. Not the classic hatchback, she'd initially thought he drove, Brandon had a small Asian sedan  
"Let's not go back to the Peach Pit" Andrea laughed  
"I had no intention" Brandon nodded, "Let's- let's just drive"  
"I like that. Let's" she agreed  
They found a quiet spot and parked. Saturday night and people were out and about, though thankfully, staying away from the compact car.  
"I've enjoyed my trip here" Andrea was honest, "and I'm really glad we connected again"  
"But" Brandon could sense what might be coming  
"When I head back to New Jersey, I guess we'll just go back to – not seeing each other at all?"  
"Is that what you want?" Brandon seemed unsure  
"Is it what you want?" Andrea glanced over at him  
"Andrea, I spent a lifetime not saying what I should've, skirting around issues, and hiding behind what I thought I had to be" he sighed, "I don't want to do that anymore"  
"But you still care about your ex"  
"Care" he laughed, "is a funny word"  
"You've got her picture tucked away"  
Brandon turned to her. His gaze narrowed, "How could you possibly know that?"  
"I-"  
"You went through my things"  
"I was trying to find your address so my daughter could give me a lift home"  
"Well, I guess that's a good cause" he scoffed  
"Don't do that" she stared at him, "don't you put it on me. You still have feelings for her"  
"No' he stared back at her, "I don't. I just couldn't give her what she wanted"  
"What was that? A bigger house? More money?"  
"A family. She wanted a child and I can't give her that!" his voice grew louder  
"Oh" she realized  
"It killed me" he went on, his voice softened, "It absolutely killed me seeing you raise a family with Jesse, and I couldn't do that because he got there first"  
"It was not any kind of race" she was defiant, "And we've had enough missed opportunities"  
"I know" he sighed, " You were right, back when we were camp counselors. I should've been happy for you. I tried. I really did." he smiled at her, "Look at you, you have it all. What do I have? An ex wife, a drunk business partner, and a 1950s themed restaurant that means something to me, but maybe only to me"  
Andrea wanted to say something, anything, to reassure Brandon that she was there for him, also.  
Just then, there was a tap at the window, the car window. It startled Andrea. Brandon seemed to take it in his stride. Maybe strangers tapped on his car window every day.  
Except it wasn't a stranger.  
It was Hannah.  
"What happened?" Andrea rolled down the window, "Are you alright"  
Hannah nodded. "I tried calling Aunt Donna's place, but she said you left"

"How'd you find me?" Andrea stared at her daughter, "You just walked up to every car here?"  
"That phone finder app works both ways, you know" she quipped, "This is kind of important, and I didn't want to have to wait to tell you"  
"I don't know if there's enough room in the car for all of us" Andrea glanced at the cramped back seats, "Let's go sit down" she motioned to the park outside which they were, in fact, parked.  
Andrea excused herself from Brandon. Then, mother and daughter walked quietly. They found a bench in the park and sat down  
"You're always telling me how you wanted a different life for me, from the way you had" Hannah began  
"Sure" Andrea nodded  
"What would happen if it happened anyway?" Hannah sniffed back tears, "What if, no matter what happened, I ended up in the same situation"  
"Are you ok? Did someone hurt you?" Andrea spoke the words while her mind raced, fearing the worst.  
"No, nothing like that." Hannah sighed, "It's just – you see, I – I wanted you to come down here, to Los Angeles" she explained, her voice breaking, "because I wanted to tell you things in person, the way we're doing right now", she continued, "I'm pregnant"  
"You're – what?" Andrea couldn't believe her ears, "I hoped for so long that you wouldn't end up like me. I wanted more for you" she stood up and faced her daughter, stunned at the revelation.  
"But Mom" Hannah shook her head, "Don't you see? You're the best role model I know. You made everything work out"  
"Sure, I did" Andrea scoffed, not believing that she could be any sort of role model, least of all to her own daughter, especially after this information reveal.  
"You didn't make the easy decision. You could've, and nobody would've faulted you for it" Hannah sniffed back tears, "I thought about not telling you, just quietly going down to a clinic and getting it over with"  
"Do- do you want to keep it?"  
"I don't know. I don't- I'm not sure what to do. I just wanted you to be here to help me out"  
"Does the father know?"  
"No" she shook her head, "and I don't want to do that- I don't want to tell him, or even think about marrying him"  
"Ok" Andrea's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. All she could do was acknowledge what her daughter was saying.  
"If I keep the baby, will you be ok?"  
"Of course" Andrea nodded, "but only- only if you want to. It's not an easy decision"  
"God, what about Brandon?" Hannah realized aloud, "If you two are together, then you'll be a grandma and he'll- be a-"  
"A grandpa?" Andrea thought aloud, "Even David's bigger than Brandon now, I guess he'd be sort of – a tiny grandpa" she laughed at the thought  
"Did you tell him you want to be with him?"  
"Not yet" Andrea sighed, "and now, now I'm not so sure he'll want that, or me"  
"Who said I wouldn't want you?" Brandon appeared behind them. He placed his hands on Andrea's shoulders, "Andrea, we've spent most of our adult lives talking about missed opportunities. I know I've thought a lot about this, about you, but I kept thinking you were better off without me following you around"  
"How could you think that? Andrea turned and faced him, "you know how I feel about you"  
"And you know how I feel about you"  
"Even with your ex-wife's photo tucked away in a drawer?" the hurt showed in Andrea's voice  
"That's not all I have tucked away" he smiled, "Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I saved a lot of your articles, just so I could have something of yours around to remind me of the person I should've risked it all for"  
Andrea didn't mention that she knew all about that, too, "What about Kelly, or your ex?"  
"Andrea" he pulled her close, "and I guess you can hear this too, Hannah" he looked over to her, and then back at the woman he held, "My ex wanted a lot of things, and like I said before, she wanted a family, she wanted kids, and I couldn't give that to her. So, we split up, and I guess she found someone who could give her what she wanted" he sat on the bench next to Hannah, and Andrea sat on the other side of him, "I was wrong to say that I was angry that you got a family before I could do that. The truth is, what I really wanted was to be able to give you a family, because I wanted that with you"  
Andrea took his hand in hers, "We can still do that"  
"Aunt Kelly really is just your business partner" Hannah looked concerned, "Nothing else, right?"  
"Nothing else" Brandon patted her hand with his, "I think we all better get over to Donna's. There's no telling what Kelly will do"


	8. Chapter 8

Meanwhile, At the Silver's, Kelly was screaming up a storm  
"Say it!" she shouted, "Tell everyone here the lie that if Dylan was right here, he'd pick you over me!"  
"I am not having this conversation" Brenda crossed her arms  
"Yes, you will, because I want to know once and for all the truth" Kelly hadn't sobered up yet, and she lashed out at her friends

"You know, there's a comic book like this" Donna realized, "about a goofy redhead and his two girlfriends, a brunette and a blonde"  
"Now's not the time" David kissed her cheek and warned her.  
The doorbell rang. Donna and David backed away from the arguing women  
"Kelly, he married me. What more do you want to hear?" Brenda sighed, "I'm sorry that you're upset that he's not Sam's dad, but do you understand how I feel?" she looked away, "I lost the love of my life"  
"He was the love of mine, too!" Kelly screamed  
"Hey Buddy" Steve literally bumped into Brandon, as he, Andrea and Hannah came back to the Silver's.  
"Sounds like world war three out here" Brandon quipped  
"Something like that" Steve agreed, "I got to get home. Janet and Maddy have something planned and I've been away enough for one night" romeo Steve Sanders truly had changed; he'd grown up.  
Brandon took a deep breath and stepped into the melee.

"Sorry to make you follow us in your car, like that" Andrea apologized to her daughter  
"It's ok" Hannah smiled, "I'm just glad I could talk to you"  
"You can always talk to me"  
"I – ok" she nodded  
"We'll sort this out, I promise. But right now, it sounds like there's enough action going on right here tonight"  
"Fine" Hannah sighed  
"No matter what decision you make, I'm behind you, a hundred percent" Andrea hugged her daughter. "I'll stick around here longer" she smiled, "I won't leave Los Angeles until you're alright. I've hurt too many people by running away in the past. I don't dare do that to my own daughter."  
"Or Uncle Brandon" Hannah grinned.  
"Sure, him too" Andrea laughed.  
She glanced over to where Brandon was doing his best to keep Kelly and Brenda from tearing each others' hair out.  
"He loved me more than he ever cared about you" Kelly shrieked  
"Take that back! Do you even care about who you hurt or is just winning that much more important to you?"  
"Dylan was the only good thing I had in my life!" Kelly pointed an accusing finger at Brenda, "And you stole him from me! Just like you did in high school"  
"Just shut up!" Brenda finally had had enough, "I have stood here and listened to you this entire night, going on and on about how my husband loved you, even more than he loved me" she lashed back, "You know what? Maybe he did!"  
Everyone, shocked, stared at Brenda, who continued.  
"Dylan was that kind of guy. He loved everyone. He loved my brother like he was his own. He loved every one of you, and yes, he loved me. He loved me even when I ran away from my friends to London to chase what I thought was my future!"

"Ladies, please" Brandon held up his hands, trying to placate the two women  
"Shut up" they told him in unison.  
Kelly turned back to Brenda, "What I want to know is who the hell took a swab of my son's cheek for that DNA test?" she shrieked, "Only to find out that that two timing son of a bitch Morris is the father!"

"That would be me" Donna raised her hand as if she was still not even a high school student, but a grade school student

"Why? Why on earth would you do that?" Kelly fumed

"I was trying to be helpful" Donna shrugged her shoulders, "You left your mail open, and I thought it might be something important. I was already watching Sam at your house that day"

"Why can't you just leave things well enough alone?" Kelly was livid

"So you could go on thinking that my husband fathered your son?" Brenda's eyes were daggers, "or so you could lord that lie over me for the rest of my life?" she turned away, "Be glad that Sam isn't Dylan's son. Otherwise he'd be in danger, too"  
"Hold on" Brandon's ears figuratively perked up, "You're in danger, Brenda?"  
She quieted, "It was – soon after Dylan died" Brenda's voice shuddered, "We started getting notes, letters, threats." she sighed  
"Why didn't you go to the police?" Andrea stepped forward  
"Who would believe me? Would I be seen as a grieving widow, or an actress?" she sighed, "The police would've just said that it was a fine performance by a talented star of stage"  
"You're saying that- that-" Andrea couldn't finish the thought; it was too horrifying.  
"I'm convinced that Jack McKay's enemies had something to do with Dylan's death" Brenda was beside herself, having finally said the words aloud  
Brandon pulled his sister aside, while Andrea tended to Kelly, on opposite sides of the room. Donna and David looked on, unsure of how to help.  
"Did you save the letters, the notes?" Brandon was concerned  
"Some of them, the first few, I threw out, not realizing they'd keep coming" Brenda admitted  
"I know it's not easy being a single mother" Andrea spoke softly to Kelly, "if you need something, anything, I'll be in town some more"  
Brandon looked across the room to Andrea, having heard her say that. She glanced over at him, and nodded. They both understood.  
She was staying. Maybe not only for him, but she was indeed staying.  
There was time to make up for missed opportunities.


	9. Chapter 9

We need to go to the police" Brandon was firm about this, "it's not some game" he turned to his sister, "Do you have any of the notes, or the letters, something to corroborate the threats?"

"Not here" she sighed, "at home"

"Ok" I'll head over there" he turned toward his friends, "Guys, I'm sorry to end tonight like this, but we've really got to take care of this"

The others nodded in agreement.

"Andrea, you guys get home safe" he gave her a quick hug. There was no time for anything else, regardless of how much they might've wanted to show each other any affection.

"Right" she nodded. "Kelly, it might be best if you get a ride home with us; we can drop you off at your place"

"Why? Because you're so good at taking care of people?" she sneered, "and might I add that my son's at home right now"

"Then you'll be with him too" Andrea went on, "You're still inebriated, and I simply don't want that on my conscience"

"Fine, whatever" Kelly begrudgingly let herself be guided to Hannah's car.

Andrea was roused from sleep by a voice saying her name, repeatedly.

"Not now" she rolled over. Probably not the best response.

"I guess I'll see you tonight" Brandon shrugged his shoulders

"Brandon?" Andrea snapped her eyes open and sat up. Brandon sat on the couch's armrest. Hannah's apartment was small, and while a twin bed was good for a single student, it wasn't ideal for more than one person. The couch was less than ideal, but it served its unintended purpose.

"What are you doing here?" she felt disoriented. The night had been a blur of emotions, then shouting, and the wind whipping through her short hair.

"I sent you some texts, but I guess you were being sleeping beauty here" he wasn't making fun of her. He sounded genuine. Brandon really thought she was like that, a sleeping beauty.

"It was the middle of the night" Andrea put on her glasses and stared at her phone momentarily. "It's morning" she blinked against the sunlight, "How did you get in?"

"Hannah let me in" he admitted, "I think she wanted to leave us alone" he coughed into his fist, "ahem"

"It's been busy" she sighed, "to say the least"

"Yeah, I know"

"What did you find out last night?" she remembered Brenda's revelation about Dylan's passing.

"The police are looking into Dylan's death, and they're not so quick to call it an accident, regardless of what had been decided earlier"

"Ok" she nodded sleepily, "that's good"

"And I wanted to make sure you were alright" he offered

"Thanks" she smiled, "we got Kelly home, and made sure she got upstairs alright" she went on, "and then we came here and passed out"

"I can see" he glanced around. Andrea was nearly fully dressed under the blanket. Her hair, short as it was, was still a mess. He smiled. She looked cute like that. Of course, he'd seen what she looked like first thing in the morning.

"So" he went on, "I heard you're staying here" he leaned over the armrest, "that's good"

"It is" she nodded, "I want to be here for Hannah, regardless of what she decides" she explained, "and – I want to be here for you, for whatever happens"

"Look, I'm not saying we should get married right away" he paused, "but-"

"We nearly slept together when you were going to move back to Minnesota" she remembered aloud"

"You know" he grinned, "if I'd know it would've been like what we shared, I think I'd have begged my parents to stay here"

"Sure, you can say that now" she had a twinkle in her eye, "you've slept with half the girls in our graduating class" she leaned against the armrest opposite Brandon.

"I think Steve set that record" Brandon laughed

"What are you going to do about the Peach Pit?" she turned series for a moment, remembering Kelly's outburst to him from the night before, "You still owe her money, right?"

"I'll figure it out" he sighed, "that place really does mean a lot to me. Nat wanted to make sure someone took care of it. I'm doing my best" he glanced at her, "What do you want to do down here?"

"I can't see myself writing fluff pieces" she rationalized, "but there's still hard hitting journalism"

"What happened with Yale?" Brandon genuinely wanted to know.

Andrea sat up and turned so there was now more room on the couch. Brandon took the unspoken invitation and sat next to her.

"Pre-med didn't work out so well with a crying toddler" she was honest, "and I fell back on what I knew, writing"

"I shouldn't have chickened out like that" he was candid, too, "We missed so much time together"

"We're making up for that lost time now, right?" she inched her hand towards his. They'd been to bed together and here, she was still feeling awkward around him.

He took her hand in his and they interlaced fingers. "Yeah, we are" he smiled, "and I do like running the Peach Pit. I like journalism, too"

"But" she spoke his unsaid word

"But" he nodded, "the world's moved on, and everything's changed, and I'm not sure what to do"

"That's part of life" she spoke her feelings, "I spent most of my life striving for some logical way of looking at things, and yet, – well"

"Well?" he wanted to hear hear thoughts

"Look at us" she let go of his hand, and used both hers to gesticulate, "we've got back and forth, and none of that's rational. Certainly not logical"

"I guess call it practice" he grinned. "Do you really want to keep with journalism?"

"Do you really want to run the Peach Pit for the rest of your life?"

"Oh wow" Hannah entered the apartment, "Is it happening?" she acted like she'd been waiting for a scene to play out on television, "Are you two official?"

"I think we're way past official" Andrea laughed, "and how long have you been listening at the door?"

"I don't have to eavesdrop" Hannah laughed, "Mom, you're so obvious. You've always been like that, especially about Uncle Brandon" she winked, "or should I start calling you Stepdad?"

Brandon's eyes grew large in in awe. "Uh"

"Great, now you'll scare the man away and we'll have to wait another couple of decades for him to return" Andrea shook her head and smiled.

"Let's figure that part out later on" Brandon smiled at Hannah, "right now, I'm more concerned with you two. There was something you were talking about with each other, and while I'm really not privy to whatever decision you make, – I uh-"

"It's ok" Hannah leaned against the couch armrest that Brandon had been sitting on earlier, "I guess I can say it in front of both of you" she paused

"Ok" Andrea expected her to continue

"Mom" Hannah explained, "You've done so much for me, and if you hadn't made a particular decision, I wouldn't be here right now"

Andrea nodded in acknowledgment

"but I'm not you" Hannah continued, "I don't need to tell you this, but I wanted to. I can't have this baby. Maybe I'm not as strong as you but-"

"Stop that" Andrea interrupted, "You're incredibly strong" she stood and hugged her daughter, "you've come through so many hurdles and struggles"

"But I had you right here with me the whole time"

"And your father"

"Fine" Hannah conceded, though it sounded like she didn't want to

"You've come so far." Andrea beamed, "And like I said, whatever decision you make, I'm with you a hundred percent"

"I love you a lot" Hannah sniffed back emotion, "I just can't do this, not right now"

"And you don't have to" Andrea held her, "Whatever you want to do, I'm going to be right here with you" Andrea pulled away, "but you didn't have to tell me any of this. You're grown up. You can make your own decisions"

"I guess I felt like we missed some opportunities, too" Hannah looked at Andrea and Brandon, "just like you two did" she went on, "Mom, you and I didn't really tell each other the truth, for a lot of reasons"

"Sure, acknowledged" Andrea nodded, understanding

"I want to make up for that, by being more open, and this was such a huge decision. I couldn't just do it on my own, without you around"

"I worried that you'd make the mistakes I made" Andrea was honest, "I was so scared that you'd never be truthful to yourself, or be your most authentic self, or hide away in work or studies or other pursuits, instead of being in the here and now" she went on, "but now I can see how grown up you really are, and you're making much smarter decisions than I did at your age"

"Mom" Hannah furrowed her brows, "I was one by the time you were my age"

"Case in point" Andrea nodded knowingly.

"But, if I'm making this decision, then there's nothing keeping you from going back to New Jersey"

"True, there's a lot of reasons for me to head back" she rationalized, "but there's two very important reasons for me to stay right here" she patted Brandon's hand.

"That's good" Hannah

"Yeah, it is" Brandon laughed, "Maybe we can take a break on that note. I know we've all had a rough night"

Andrea agreed, "None of us had a real night's sleep. Let's regroup later on" she glanced at her phone to check the time, "I'll text you"

"Sounds good" he kissed her cheek, and they said their goodbyes.

Andrea and Brandon both knew life was changing for each of them, but at least they could weather those changes together.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Apparently, I wrapped up things too early. It seems that I left out some important events. Having said that, I might update this story later on once I have some clear thoughts on how to do it. Everyone, thank you for your comments. It seems like my readers have some very clear ideas about Dylan's death. Also, my apologies for those who are upset that I killed off Dylan. After Mr. Perry's passing, I felt that writing Dylan stories wouldn't be right on my part. Mr. Perry made Dylan, well, Dylan. **  
**Also, for those who asked about Brenda and Dylan's children, if any, I'm thinking about that. I had purposely left out the gang's kids as much as I could, mainly because I was mainly focusing on Brandon/Andrea, but I had to have some other scenarios and conflict going on. **  
**My apologies if anyone liked Kelly. I never really did, though I do like Jeannie Garth. But I think we all know who's my favorite actress on 90210.  
For those who asked about why I skipped over the falling action and jumped straight to the resolution. I focused on Brandon and Andrea, and sort of left everything else to the background. I really didn't realize that the mystery surrounding Dylan's murder would be so exciting. I'll have to give this some thought. Please be patient with me, everyone.****  
I've edited this chapter, leaving it open ended. Your reviews are welcomed and your input it much appreciated.  
**

Brandon pulled Andrea close to him. The bed was warm, comfortable. Neither wanted to get up, let alone out from under the covers. Thankfully, neither did.  
"Do you ever think about prom?" he smiled lazily, "and wish we'd done things differently?"  
"I think that life would've been very – different, if we had" she mused aloud, "but then, maybe it's better like this"  
"Oh yeah?" he seemed surprised, "how so?"  
"Well" she spoke her thoughts, "maybe we needed to be with people who weren't the right fit, in order for us to realize- I guess what we realized" she smiled at him.  
"I can see that" he interlaced his fingers with hers.  
"Do you think about that?" she asked  
"I do" he admitted, "I regret not saying things, or doing things"  
"But we have this" she let her fingers trace his as their hands were connected  
"We do" he agreed.  
There was a pause.  
"I really do owe you an explanation on something" he hesitated, "why that picture's in my dresser" he motioned with his available hand to the dresser drawers.  
"No," she slightly furrowed her brows, "you don't"  
"Maybe you're not asking me for one, but I'd feel better telling you" he sighed  
"Alright" she conceded, "go ahead"  
"It's a reminder for me" he explained, "not to make mistakes like that"  
"I don't know" she thought aloud, "Mistakes help us learn"  
"Sure" he laughed quietly, "I guess so"  
"Look" she turned serious a moment, "if I hadn't married Jesse, or had Hannah, I might not have realized how much I missed you" she turned to him, "maybe-" she paused.  
Brandon knew what she wanted to say, "Ok, I'll give you that" he looked at her, "I'm just glad you came back down here. We got a chance to - have this reunion" he grinned  
"We never really did say goodbye" she smiled, "You were in DC when – Donna got married" her smile left her face.  
"What?" he looked concerned  
"Brandon" she began, "We were in college- and I honestly can't remember seeing you after that" her voice was filled with pain.  
"Hey" he smiled and held her, "It's ok"  
"No" she looked hurt, "It's not" she explained, "there was your video message at Donna's wedding, and – well, that's all she wrote" she gave a wry smile, "I think part of me wanted this for so long, I forgot how far we'd drifted away from each other" she blinked back tears, "even as friends"  
"It's alright" he kissed her forehead, "we're alright" he forced a smile to ease her pain, "we're together now"  
"I know" she nodded, "You were always my best friend, Brandon"  
"And you're mine" he agreed, "and yeah, you're right. We never really got to say goodbye, but maybe that's good, too"  
"Sure" she thought aloud. There was a pause, "I think you've got a point" she thought aloud, "There were times I wish we'd gotten together sooner. As much as I'm glad Hannah's part of my life, and I love her, and I see the mistakes Jesse and I made- there's a part of me that very much wanted it to be you"  
"Oh" Brandon looked genuinely surprised at her admission. Andrea reached over and put her glasses back on.  
"I did" she looked at him, "Brandon, you understood me, you – you got me, you know my secrets like nobody else ever did" she emphasized her point, "do you realize how much you meant to me back then, in high school?"  
"I - uh"  
"So, yeah. I do wish we'd slept together on prom. It's easy for me to rationalize things and try to make sense out of them. I was brought up like that. It's how I see the world. But if life taught me anything, it's that life isn't rational."  
"Ok" Brandon propped himself up in bed and leaned on his bent arm  
"Maybe life would've turned out differently" she went on, "maybe we'd have argued about how to raise Hannah if she was our child. I know that's part of what drove Jesse and me apart" she glanced away a moment, then brought her eyes trained back on him, "I don't like playing that game, Brandon. The 'what if game" is simply mental torture" she reached over and took his available hand in hers, "I've been in love with you since we were in high school together. Maybe it just took that long for us to get together, in more ways than one" she smiled, "so as much as yes, I think about how things could've been different, I'm glad that you're here with me, right here, right now. I can't think of anywhere else I want to be than with you"  
Brandon smiled. A real, genuine smile full of emotion, "I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be than right here with you, too", he squeezed her hand, "but, I think we should get something to eat, unless you'd like to try for round two" he grinned, "Mrs. Walsh"  
"I think that can be arranged" Andrea matched his smile, "Mr. Walsh"  
Brandon's phone buzzing pulled them out of momentarily marital bliss.  
"What now?" he grumbled, staring at the screen. "Hello?"  
There was a pause as he listened.  
"I see" he was suddenly serious, "Yes, sir. We'll be down there as soon as we can" he hung up and turned to his wife. He loved even thinking that. His wife. An involuntary grin played on his face.  
"I hope that was good news, the way you're smiling"  
"Maybe it is" he sighed, and got out of bed, "The police made a break on the case. They think they know who killed Dylan" he took her hand, "let's go"


	11. Chapter 11

By the time Brandon and Andrea had showered, dressed and made it down to the Beverly Hills police precinct, the others were already there.  
"What the hell are we even doing here?" Steve leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.  
"They want everyone who knew Dylan over here" Donna explained.  
"Where's my Mom?" fourteen year old Sam Taylor sulked. Like his mother, he had blonde hair, or rather, like his father, too.  
"Everything will be fine" Donna reassured him. Nobody wanted to bother telling her that things might not be fine for any of them.  
"I just want to find out the truth" Brenda paced back and forth.  
"Kelly's still in there?" Brandon glanced at the closed door. It led down the hallway to the interrogation rooms.  
"They called me the other night" Brenda spoke to her brother, but didn't answer his question, "Whoever had gone after Jack, years ago, wouldn't have wanted to go after Dylan" she sighed, "and the notes didn't match anything they'd found earlier"  
"Ok, so now what?" Brandon was concerned about his sister, "We just have bide our time. Besides, they wouldn't have called us all down here unless they were close to a break"  
"I guess" Brenda mused aloud, "This probably isn't what you expected, coming back here" she had turned and now spoke to Andrea Walsh.  
"It's ok" Andrea forced a smile, trying to reassure her new sister in law, "I'm just glad I can help out you guys, be part of things."  
"You've always been one of us" Brenda smiled, "don't eve r doubt that for a moment"  
"It'll work out" Steve came forward, "and Brenda, don't worry about Rob. Maddy's watching him"  
"Thanks" Brenda nodded in response.  
"He must be taking things hard" Brandon spoke about his nephew.  
"I've been horrible" Brenda swallowed her emotion, "ever since things have been moving so fast, people coming back and old memories cropping up, I haven't been able to give him much time"  
"He's resilient, like his parents" Brandon hugged his sister, "you'll see"  
"I know how it is" Steve agreed, "life comes at you fast. It's easy to get wrapped up in things" he placed a hand on Brenda's shoulder and one on Brandon's, "Janet and I have been dealing with Maddy's college - issues, I guess. And now, everything's going on reminded me just how we all kind of drifted apart with our own lives"  
Brenda and Brandon stared at Steve Sanders. Had he really grown up? It seemed inconceivable but here he was, being mature.  
"You're a good friend, Steve" Brenda smiled at him, "even if we did kiss a few times" she lightly punched his shoulder.  
"Why couldn't Maddy watch me, too?" Sam Taylor pouted. He went back to playing with his phone.  
"She's got enough on her hands right now" Steve quipped.  
"I'm tired of waiting around" David frowned, "We have other things to do. I mean, they cleared us all, right?"  
"What's taking Kelly so long in there?" Donna wondered aloud.  
Nobody wanted to say what was in the back of many of their minds.  
"The last time I was here" Andrea spoke quietly to Brandon, "wasn't Kelly with-"  
"Yeah" Brandon interrupted her, "they were. Let's not talk about it here" he squeezed her hand and smiled.  
"Right"  
"Where's my kid?" a male voice cut into the air.  
"Oh my god" Donna realized who had said it.  
"Slow down" a woman called after him.  
Everyone recognized the second voice  
"Valerie?" Donna asked.  
A well dressed blonde man came around the corner into the room at an alarming pace. Behind him came Valerie Malone, who nobody had seen since in about twenty years.  
"Quite honey" he shushed her, "Now where's my kid, damn it?"  
"You're – " Donna had her hand on young Sam's shoulder, "you're"  
"Zack Morris, attorney" he shook her hand forcibly, "great to meet you" he didn't smile. Now where's my kid?"  
"I thought you moved to Buffalo?" David asked Valerie, "and – you said you met a local guy"  
"He told me he was local"  
"Local to Palisades" Zack quipped to David and Valerie.  
Morris looked at Sam. "Hi there" he put on a big smile, "Do you know who I am?"  
"A creeper who uses too much hair gel?" Sam shot back.  
"What are you even doing here?" Steve asked Valarie, "Didn't you- I mean"  
"The police asked us to come down here" Valarie explained, "something about-"  
"I got it, honey" Zack cut in, "Seems like one of my exes got her hands dirty and now I've got to clean up the mess"  
"Hold on" Brandon put his hands up, "everyone wait a moment"  
"I think that's my line" Zack quipped, "and it's time out"  
Brandon stared at him, "So all that screaming at the party was true. You're- you're-" he couldn't get the words out.  
"Kelly and I had a little tryst years ago" Zack grinned, "and what can I say?"  
"Stop" Brandon held up his hand in Zack's face, "do you understand that a friend of all of ours is dead. We were all called here because what everyone thought was a mob hit is apparently something else?"  
Everyone stopped and stared at Brandon, who went on, "Brenda, you were sure that Jack McKay's enemies did this, but the police aren't sure. And now" he looked around at his friends, "we're all called here because we all knew Dylan." he took a breath for clarity and emphasis, "so that means, the police must think one of us did it"  
The group looked around from one person to another.  
"But-" Donna put her hand up like a grade school child, "Kelly's not here"  
"I think that's what we're all concerned about" Andrea put in.  
"Alright" the other door opened and a plainclothes detective entered the room. Tall with a balding pate, he scratched at his short facial hair that passed for a beard, "you're all free to go" he glanced around the room.  
"Officer" Brenda began  
"Detective" the man smiled  
"Detective" Brenda corrected herself, "What's going on? You're done with the investigation?"  
"It took us long enough" he explained, "and we just – well, it's wrapped up now"

The detective's phone rang suddenly, cutting through his words. He looked at the name displayed. "One moment"  
He turned his back to the group, "Liv, I'll have to call you later on" there was a pause, "yeah, love you, too"  
The detective faced the gang of once kids, "Please, go home, take care of yourselves tonight. Later, we'll call everyone for the hearing"  
"You're saying that Kelly-" Brenda could barely speak the words. She'd wanted the truth for so long, and now. Now.  
"Mrs. McKay" the detective softened, "I'd like to speak with you later on.  
"You can tell it in front of all of us" Steve put in, "we're all friends here, we're all Brenda's friends"  
The detective took a deep breath, "We've made an arrest" he began, "and there's no easy way to say this-"  
"I knew it!" Brenda screamed, "That lying, backstabbing, two-timing" she shook with anger, rage, pain and anguish  
Brandon hugged her to keep her from lashing out. "It's ok, it'll be fine"  
"How will it be fine when – when she knew, she knew all this time? And all those horrible things she said at the party. She knew how I'd feel, and she knew- she knew because she killed him!" Brenda broke down and sobbed in Brandon's arms.  
"We'll be alright" he held his sister  
"How?" she cried into his shoulder  
"You've got all of us around you" he reassured her  
"Brenda" Andrea came close, "He was our friend, too, and we can share the pain" she placed her hand on Brenda's back, "it's not easy"  
Brenda looked up with a tear stained face, "yeah" her voice was shaky, "how do I tell Robbie?"  
"We'll do it, together" Brandon offered, "we're family"  
In the back of the room, Sam Taylor came to his own conclusions, "my Mom killed somebody?" he looked aghast.  
"She's not well" Donna sat by the boy, "it's nothing that you did. You couldn't have stopped her or saved her"  
"Well, what's going to happen to me?" the phone and games were put aside. He looked scared, like a fearful toddler.  
"We're here for you" David sat on his other side, "and you're not alone" he motioned to Valerie and Zack, "you have a dad"  
"I don't even know you" Sam shuddered as he looked at Morris.  
"Well" Zack knelt and offered his hand in a very uncharacteristic manner, "we can get to know each other" he smiled, a genuine smile. "My dad was busy a lot when I was younger. I thought I could get away with using people to get what I wanted" he was suddenly candid, "maybe that wasn't such a good idea" he looked at a blank wall for a moment, and then turned back to the boy, "but now, I'm trying to make things better" he placed his hand on Sam's knee, "Hey, how would you like to come to Palisades with me?"  
"What about my school?"  
"You're almost ready for high school. You could go to my alma mater"

"We don't have to figure it out today" Valerie saw Sam's uneasiness. "We can stay in town for awhile" she nudged Zack.  
"Sure" he nodded.  
"What's going to happen to my mom?" Sam wondered aloud  
"We'll see" Donna put in, "she's going to get some help" she didn't dare scare the boy with thoughts of hard time in jail for Kelly Taylor.  
Steve, on the other hand, didn't care about niceties, "Kelly did love coordinating. I guess now everything will match. It'll all be orange" he quipped, "or striped"  
"Shut up" Brandon warned his friend.  
Andrea looked on. She'd run away from her friends years ago, and tried hard to make a life for herself. Now she had one. She had a loving husband, a daughter who wanted to be around her. She had a full life with a job, and a family. Who'd have thought that the shy, nerdy girl from Van Nuys would've wound up here.  
"Brandon" she turned to her husband, "What'll happen to the Peach Pit now?"  
"I'm not sure" he looked worried at the thought, "Kelly was handling more than half the cost. Where am I going to get someone to help me with that?" he sighed, "Nat wanted me to have it because he knew I'd take care of things"  
"Maybe we can keep it running" Andrea thought aloud, "I've said I wouldn't bury myself in my writing and hide from the world." she glanced at Brenda, visibly grieving a second time over, "and maybe it's what Brenda needs to keep her mind occupied" Andrea knew how devastating death could be. She'd covered enough of it in her journalism.  
"That's a great idea" he pulled her into a one armed hug. "I'll talk with her about it later on"  
"We'll talk with her"  
"Right, we'll do it" Brandon smiled, "but what about your writing?"  
"What about you?" she countered, "you wanted to change the world with journalism"  
"I think the world changed me" he sighed, "showed me how stubborn it is"  
"I'm glad you didn't change too much" she reached up and played with his short beard  
"Likewise" he held her, and didn't care who saw him.  
Steve strode up to them, "Ok, you two. Get a room" he quipped, "we got to get out of here anyway." he slapped them both on the back, "I got to go pick up Rob so he doesn't drive Maddy up the wall. Where should we head to?"  
Brandon thought about it for a moment. Then he smiled, "The Peach Pit" he turned to the group, "Everyone, let's head somewhere public. I think we're all going to have a lot of discussing to do"

And they would.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: thanks to some of my wonderful readers, I've realized that, like most good stories, it doesn't end when the two protagonists say "I do"**  
**Let's see what's in store for the gang after Brandon and Andrea's wedding.**  
**For those who asked about why haven't we seen Kelly's son or Brenda's son, I guess they were offscreen until now. **

The Peach Pit looked open that night, but a sign on the doors said otherwise. The shades were drawn, and while light could be seen inside the restaurant, there was no real activity, nobody entering or leaving.

Inside, things seemed just as somber. The gang, Andrea, Brenda, Donna, David, Steve, and Janet sat around two tables pushed together. Zack and Valerie Morris sat along side them. The group was too big for a booth. The juke box was off.  
The kids, that is, the actual kids, fourteen year old Sam Taylor, twelve year old Robert McKay, and nineteen year old Madeline Sanders, were parked in a booth.  
"Ok" Brandon was an echo of his usual good-natured self, "that's nine coffees" he worked the machine behind the counter. "Andrea, can you give me a hand with these?"  
Had it only been a few months ago that Andrea had walked into the Peach Pit, only to hear something similar, when Kelly had balked about being Brandon's waitress?  
"Sure" she got up from her seat and took a tray with some of the coffee mugs on them, while Brandon took the rest on a tray, himself.  
"I've got some hot chocolate coming around in a bit" Brandon forced a smile for the children.  
"I'm sorry, Uncle Brandon" Maddy looked up from her phone  
"It's ok" he nodded, "but thanks"  
"So" Steve began when all the adults were seated once more, "Where do we go from here?"  
"I meant what I said" Zack spoke up, "I'd like to take some responsibility with my son"  
"Because you did such a bang up job so far" Steve smirked  
"That's enough" Janet cleared her throat, "when Steve came home and told us what had happened at the party the other night, I didn't know what to say. You guys made me feel like I was part of the group. Maybe we can work together"  
"That's what we do" Andrea agreed, "I felt like an outsider, but Brandon, everyone made me feel like I was one of the gang"  
"It takes a village" Brandon began, "is something I read in a book once. Maybe, maybe we need to think about that" he looked at Zack and Valerie, "would you two consider coming back to West Beverly?" he clarified, "for Sam?"  
"Hold on" David put up his hands, "we don't even know if Kelly's going to- well, jail or not"  
"How can you be worried about Kelly after what she did to Dylan?" Brenda glared at him  
"I'm not- I just" David sputtered, "I just think that if we're talking about people moving from one place to another, we should hold on until it's absolutely needed"  
"Doesn't anyone give a care about what I want?" Sam stood up. "Huh? You're all talking about what's best for me. Don't I get a chance to say something?"  
"Sure" Valerie felt bad for the child, "go ahead, Sammy. What do you want to do?"  
"I don't want to leave here. I have all my friends here. I got all you guys here" he went on, "why would I want to go away with some guy I never even met before?"  
"Kid's got a point" Zack noted  
"How come I can't just live at aunt Donna's? They don't have anyone there!"  
"And that's how you keep a twenty year old marriage working" David quipped  
"Shut it" Steve scowled, "ok, fine kid" he spoke to Sam, "you want to stay here. What's going to happen then?"  
"I – er- uh" Sam faltered  
"That's what I thought, big man" Steve shook his head, "no wonder Kelly couldn't figure out who your dad was" he scoffed, "you can't figure yourself out either"  
"That's enough" Brandon placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. It wasn't warm or friendly now, "we're all hurting, that's obvious. Someone we knew, someone we grew up with, did something horrible and hurt one of us, one of our own" he finished, "but right now, we have to think about Sam" he looked at his sister, "and Brenda, and Rob"  
"I can't lie" Brenda spoke up, "I can't look at some people without seeing what happened. How someone I thought was my friend hurt me in the most intimate way possible. She took away someone I loved" she looked at Sam, "I know it's not your fault" she meant it, "and I'm so sorry about your Mom. Right now, it just hurts too much"  
Rob McKay, all of twelve, simply sat there, and stared at his phone.  
"Buddy" Brandon knelt by his nephew, "are you ok?"  
"I'm fine" he stared at the screen  
"You know" Brandon began, "it's ok to cry or say you feel bad. It's a lot for all of us. Even big guys do that, cry sometimes"  
"I'm not a baby!" Rob bolted from the booth and ran into the back of the restaurant.  
"I'll get him" Brandon turned toward the kitchen.  
"No" Brenda stood, "I'll take care of him" she sniffed, "He's like his dad"  
"You did the right thing" Andrea rubbed his shoulder when Brandon sat back down at the table  
"I try" he sighed

"Sweetie?" Brenda took a step into the kitchen. Things were clean now, put away. Where there'd been a bustling restaurant earlier in the day, today things were quiet.  
"Leave me alone" Rob shouted from next to the refrigerator. He sat on the floor, his knees tucked up under his chin, his back against the appliance.  
"I know it hurts"  
"Why'd she have to go do that?" he sniffed back tears, "How come Aunt Kelly hated Dad so much?"  
"She really didn't" Brenda found herself saying, "Sometimes, when you love someone very much, it comes out in – in a bad way"  
"Why didn't the mob guys really go do it? That's easier to understand. They hated grandpa, they hated Dad so they got him, too"  
"I don't know" Brenda sat on the floor next to her son. Months ago, when Andrea had burst into town, Brenda never thought that they would all be sitting around a table, like they had in high school. Now, things had changed, forever so.  
"Do you remember" she asked him, "When Sam came over to play?" she went on, "and he wanted the last piece of pie, but you wanted it too, and didn't want to share"  
"He already had a piece"  
"And you did, too" she continued, "so what happened?"  
"He's a jerk, and his Mom's a jerk, too"  
"You smashed the piece with your fist" she pulled him into a hug, "and I know it's difficult. Right now, Sam lost his Mom and feels a lot like you do about Dad"  
"Yeah, but she's still alive, and he has a Dad anyway"  
"Ok, he does" she held him, "but I'm trying to teach you that it's ok to hurt, it's ok to feel bad, just like Uncle Brandon was telling you, and it's also ok to help out people, too"  
"Uncle Brandon doesn't care. He's got a new wife now"  
"Oh, ok. You're worried that he's not going to come around to talk anymore?"  
"I could come here, and hang out after school. Now all he wants to do is do kissy stuff with her" he made a face.  
Brenda smiled, "one day, you might feel like that about girls"  
"Or boys" he mumbled  
"Jacob Masterson likes boys"  
"And that's ok" she patted his shoulder, her arm around him, "are you alright with going back outside now, with everyone"  
"I'm not a baby" he stared at the kitchen appliances. "but I wish Dad was here"  
"I do, too" Brenda sighed, "I do, too"  
"Is it alright me to come on in here?" Andrea ventured a foot into the kitchen  
"Come on" Brenda waved her in with her available arm, "just having some floor time"  
"How come you took Uncle Brandon away?" Rob shot out  
"Yep, he takes after him" Andrea forced a smile, "and I know, it's not easy. You'd probably like things to go back the way they were before" she knelt on the floor  
"Why'd you have to come here anyway? It was better when Uncle Brandon had time"  
"I guess I've been monopolizing his time, huh?"  
"What does a board game mean about that?" Rob balked

"What if I was here more, and your Uncle Brandon was here more" she offered, "at the Peach Pit, and then you could come by?"  
"I don't know" he sulked  
"I'd handle bookkeeping, and files and things, and Brandon would be in the kitchen or behind the counter, and you wouldn't have me – well, taking up so much of his time"

"How come you're saying that?" he looked suspicious  
"I guess it's because I love him" Andrea was honest, "and when you love someone, you try to help them out, and help the people they care about"  
"Love is weird" Rob made a face  
"It is" Andrea agreed, "quite, quite weird"  
"I was just talking about how love can be possessive" Brenda explained, "and you've shown an excellent point, that love can be generous, too"  
"I never meant to take Brandon away from everyone" Andrea colored  
"You didn't" Brenda shook her head, "I've known my brother even longer than you have. He's known how you feel about him since we were sophomores." she smiled, "I'm just glad you two made it, finally"  
"You're happy about it?" Rob looked confused  
"You'll understand when you're older" Brenda hugged her son, "now let's get up before our legs get stuck like this, huh?"


	13. Chapter 13

By the end of the evening, everyone was exhausted. After lengthy discussions, Sam had agreed to spend the night at Donna and David's. Donna had been fine with it, David, far less so. The boy had adamantly refused to go anywhere with Valerie and Zack.

It was late night by the time everyone went their separate ways.  
"I'm glad that's done with" Brandon sighed as he and Andrea locked the car and headed home, "I don't know how Rob's going to handle all this- later in life" he was candid  
"He's a good kid" Andrea meant what she said, "From what I've seen, he'll be ok. Besides, he's got you and Brenda"  
"And his aunt Andrea" Brandon cleared his throat and smiled at her.  
Andrea didn't smile back  
"Are you alright?" Brandon was concerned. He kept his eyes on the road ahead but his attention was on his wife.  
"I was just thinking" she began, "Kelly went after Dylan, attacked him, because he chose Brenda over her." she remained quiet after that  
"It's not like you to hold your thoughts back" Brandon glanced over to her and gently prodded Andrea with his words, "You can tell me" he reassured her  
"She could've gone after you" Andrea's heart sunk as she said the words that were like daggers to her own heart, "she could've attacked you, killed you, because me" she shuddered, "it would've been my fault"  
"Hey" he reached over to her. They were at a red light, "No, that wouldn't have been your fault" he took her hand in his and gave it a tight squeeze, "Andrea, look at me"  
She stared at the darkened road ahead  
"Andrea" he was slightly forceful. She turned her eyes toward him, but kept her face straight toward the windshield.  
"What?" she used clipped tones. Brandon could tell she was walling herself off, they way she used to.

"Anything that Kelly decided to do, that was up to her. Dylan was like a brother to me, and I miss him every day, but it wasn't his fault, and it wasn't Brenda's fault, or anyone's fault other than Kelly herself." The light turned green, and the car moved forward  
"If something like that had happened to me" he went on, knowing his wife was listening to him, "it would've only been Kelly's fault" he glanced over to her, "I'm so glad you came back" he wanted her to now how he felt, "You're – you were never like anyone else I've known" he went on, "I never told you this" he paused. He worked up the inner fortitude to continue, "When we moved here, to California, from Minnesota, I felt like a real fish out of water. I mean, Brenda made friends and all, but I had nothing in common with guys like Steve"  
"I remember" Andrea smiled.  
God, he loved seeing her smile.  
"And then, I walked into the Blaze office" he smiled, reminiscing, "and my whole life changed"  
"I – oh, Brandon" she blushed. "It wasn't like that"  
"Sure it was" he grinned, "Andrea, you're so – real"  
"And other girls were what? Made up? Imaginary" she looked confused. He couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or serious.  
"No" he smiled, "You were like me" he continued, "Look, when I moved here, everyone could see I was an outsider. Brenda managed to fit in, and I tried to, but I was still the new guy" he went on, "You were – well, like that"  
"An outsider?" she stared at him. He'd wanted her to look at him, and now she was, "Brandon, how is this supposed to make me feel better?"  
"I – uh"  
"Do you think I didn't realize that I was an outsider at my own high school? You know me better than any of those people we just spent most of the evening with" she didn't let him respond, "I had to hide everything about myself. You know what you put me through just by submitting my article into that contest"  
"But it worked out" he hoped his smile would ease her anger  
"At what cost? I thought I'd be expelled, lose whatever friendship I'd gained. Lose you!"  
"I didn't think about that, any of that" he sighed, "and I'm sorry. Back then, I was trying to help out, give you some credit because it felt like nobody else did"  
"Maybe I'm ok with that" she glared at him  
"You were writing articles that were being published in most major newspapers. How is that different than what I did back in high school"  
"Nobody was going to kick me out school because I got published in newspapers as an adult" she fumed, "and would you know why I kept up with journalism, even after you came back to be a fry cook"  
"Hey!" he took offense with that, but Andrea didn't stop to let him vent.  
"No, Brandon, not tonight. We're married. You and I chose each other. I want you to hear this" she continued, "I kept up with journalism because it was the only thing I could do that made me feel like you and I were still connected. Journalism, writing, it kept me close to you even though you were a million miles away!"

Brandon shuddered with emotion, "I- I didn't know" he looked hurt.  
"Nobody else cared about the girl who bused herself to school; nobody cared about the married college student, or later, about the single mother who was doing everything to keep life afloat"  
"I didn't know" Brandon's voice was soft, "I should've - I could've reached out"  
"And what?" Andrea sniffed some tears back, "help me raise Hannah? Don't you think I dreamed about something like that happening?" she shook her head, "but you were in DC, you were busy, you had a life of your own"  
"I wish I could go back and change it all" his voice was quiet, thick with emotion, "I can't rewrite history, Andrea" he sighed, "but I'm here now. And you're right, we chose each other. I'm glad we did" he smiled at her  
"I'm glad, too" she nodded in agreement  
"And I wish I could've been there for Hannah, too"  
"You know" Andrea remembered, "I'd read to her. First it was fairy tales, and then whatever she wanted to read. Books about babysitters, or horses, or magicians" she went on, "When she was really young, she asked me, 'Mom, how come the story ends after the prince and princess get married?'"  
"That's a really good question"  
"I told her that life wasn't like that, of course, and sometimes, the prince and princess don't get their happy ending"  
Brandon knew she was obviously remembering Jesse, and everything that had happened between the two of them.  
"I'm sorry that you didn't get that happy ending" Brandon meant her divorce  
"Sure, I did" she smiled through her tears, "I married the prince, didn't I?" she sniffed back some emotion, "and our story doesn't have to end just because we're married"  
"No, it doesn't" Brandon took the opportunity of a red light to lean over and kiss her.

**A/N: Brandon and Andrea's story doesn't have to end right here, but for now, I have to mark it as Complete. I never intended for this to be a saga or a soap opera. This was always meant to be a story about Brandon and Andrea coming together. Suffice to say, let's assume that Kelly will be jailed, Valerie and Zack will move to Beverly Hills, and things will work out for everyone (well, except Kelly). Thank you all, readers, for your input, time, and interest. I always loved Andrea, from the time I first saw 90210, and wished Brandon had been her boyfriend, perhaps even her husband. This is my way to let that play out. I'd like to thank BH90210, the reboot, for reminding me why I loved watching the series to begin with. **


End file.
